National Defense Exercises To Take Place Overnight

Flights and ground exercises will take place overnight in the National Capital region between midnight and 2 a.m.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region, will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo, according to a news release from the US Department of Defense.

It's a training done to practice protecting the country, and to certify new personnel who will offer protection.

Involved are the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC), Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR's Western Air Defense Sector, the release states.

Equipment will include Civil Air APatrol aircraft and a US Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter.

"NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001," the release states.